The 2012 Cadillac ELR luxury coupe unveiled Tuesday at the North American International Auto Show will be available in Canada, said Bob Ferguson, Cadillac’s global vice-president.

The extended range electric car, based on the Cadillac Converj concept shown at the 2009 auto show, is being produced in limited numbers in the same Detroit-Hamtramck plant as the Chevrolet Volt and will be sold in select markets, including China and Europe.

“This car is exclusive. We’re only going to make so many and for so long,” Ferguson said. He wouldn’t say how many but the plan is to produce the ELR, which will go on sale in early 2014, for five or six years.

The company sold less than 25,000 Volts in Canada and the United States in 2012.

“I think (the ELR) will be judged more as a first mover and an innovative entry into the luxury space and, quite frankly, I think we may have more issues with how many we can produce than looking at how many will be purchased,” Ferguson said. He hinted the company may produce more if there is big demand.

The ELR has a wider stance, fatter tires, more precise handling and a roomier, more luxurious interior than the Volt.

“I think it’s a convergence of really sporty, cool design and the latest technology, and technology that helps us with sustainability. It’s kind of one of a kind,” said Ferguson.

“The lines in this car pick up on many of the Cadillac themes, but it’s distinctive in that it’s a sports coupe which is new for Cadillac. Put that combination together and that has to help our brand,” he said.

It is aimed at urban professionals 25-55 years old. A lot of the market testing was done in Los Angeles because Cadillac wants to expand its customer base along the West Coast and in the Northeastern U.S., Ferguson said.

He wouldn’t reveal pricing but said it would be in the same range as an upper end Cadillac CTS-V, which put it at over $55,000 in the U.S. and higher in Canada.

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